S2 Writing Skills

1. S2 Writing Skills Personal Writing

2. What do I have to be able to do? • Write about my personal experiences revealing my thoughts and feelings : showing personal reaction, feelings through description and feelings through other characters • Organise my essay so it has a clear structure • Write in carefully structured paragraphs • Punctuate accurately and use sentencestructure for effect • Spell most words accurately

3. The Unit • Model essay- “Brickie Ballantyne” • Tasks to identify and develop skills • Literary techniques • Folio task

4. Section 1 : Conveying obvious feelings in a story • The writer can reveal thoughts and feelings obviously in the personal essay • A good writer will always use a number of ways to show how they feel about events or characters • Sometimes they show feelings very obviously through word choice

5. Task • Read paragraphs 1 & 2 of “Playground Nightmare” again • Copy the table into your jotters and complete the table • Underline the emotion he was feeling in a coloured pencil/ pen

6. Table

7. Section 2: Less obvious ways of showing feelings • To make our feelings clear we don’t always have to say “I felt…” • We can hint at or suggest our feelings through other techniques • In the story, Billy has other feelings which he doesn’t write so obviously

8. A character’s feelings can be shown by… • What he does (A) • What he says/ thinks (B) • Physical description of the place/ weather (C)

9. Task • Go through paragraphs one and two and pick out three phrases which suggest how the character is feeling • Copy the following table, insert the phrases you have chosen and write down a word which you think best describes how the character is feeling • Match the phrase to show whether it is A, B or C • Pick out the word/s which best hint at feelings

11. Section 3- Showing your feelings for a place • In the story, look again at the paragraph beginning “I woke up later on what felt like a supermarket trolley and what later turned out to be a stretcher on wheels” • You are going to continue, describing what the hospital was like and what Billy felt about it all. You will need to create a group word bank, before you write, to help you to create an atmosphere of : • Excitement • Danger • Panic

12. You will notice that this really works because you are using lots of words which are similar. This really makes the reader understand what atmosphere you are creating • Begin with “I woke up later on what felt like a supermarket trolley and what later turned out to be a stretcher on wheels”

13. Layout In your jotters: Danger: ……………………………………………………………………………………… Excitement: ……………………………………………………………………………………… Fear: ………………………………………………………………………………………

14. Section 4: Describing Character • How the writer describes a character should reveal how he/ she feels about that person. Physical description in Brickie reveals the personality of the character. • When a writer creates a character, they build up a vivid picture of what that character is like. • Look again at the paragraphs that describe Brickie. The writer uses special literarytechniques to describe him. He uses these to create a frightening and memorable character.

15. Task • In pairs: • Go to the glossary you will be given • From the story, find examples of 3 of the techniques listed • Write the examples down and say what the technique is • Explain what the effect created is • See the next slide for an example/

16. Layout • Example- “his ferret like face” • Technique – simile • Effect - Brickie’s face is compared to a ferret's which suggests he is unpleasant to look at. A ferret is a rodent that is disliked by nearly everyone. They are sly animals with beady eyes and pointy faces.

17. Section 5- Reflecting On Experience • Quite often writers write about their experiences at a much later date. It is often easier to reflect on the importance of an incident after some time has passed. A good personal essay will show that the writer is able to reflect on his/ her experience. • A writer can show reflection by explaining; • What has been learned • How he/ she sees things differently when older

18. Task: Discuss the following quotation in pairs • Put numbers 1- 10 in the margin and either A or B next to the number depending on whether the statement shows: • A what the writer has learned • B what he thinks of it now

19. “I sometimes have to feel my arms and my legs to see that they’re still there! I’m amazed that I’m still standing and not in a wheelchair.” • “My last memory before I blacked out was the shooting pain which jagged through my arm.” • “I’ve learned that I shouldn’t let my bad moods control me.” • “Since then I’ve told her that her decision not to let me go almost killed me” • “I’ll never do that to anyone. It’s awful!” • “I’ve learned that even when things go wrong, sometimes there's a happy ending.” • “I’m going to be really good from now on just in case I end up in hell with Brickie!” • “Looking back, I was one lucky person!”

20. Section 6 • Task: Think about a time when you remember a sad, dramatic, tense, frightening or amusing incident (this could be from school, at home, in a hospital, on holiday, etc.) • Think carefully and choose an incident which had an interesting, dramatic or amusing outcome

21. Planning • In order to structure your story it is important to spend time planning what you are going to write • You probably have a preferred planning style- mind map, headings- which you already use • Create a plan for your story. You should include: • A build up to events • Description of incident • How it ended • Reflection on experience

22. Section 7 - Openings • Now you have the ideas for your story and the beginnings of a structure. • However, before you begin writing you must plan your opening. • You want to keep the reader’s attention with your opening • On the next slide, you will find 3 different ways of opening your personal essay

23. Openings 2 • Make the reader ask questions and keep him/ her guessing • “It was the worst day of my life!” • Use a list of memories • “When I think of happy times in my life I have memories of birthdays, picnics on the beach and visits to my favourite aunt to fill my mind.” • Direct speech • “I could do that easily!”, I boasted. “Prove it!”, they shouted. I couldn’t actually believe that I’d just said that. My mouth dried up and I felt my throat crack. That was the day my own big mouth got me in real trouble. • * sometimes a writer combines two or more of these techniques to grab the reader’s attention.

24. Task • What technique is used in the opening to the story about Brickie? • Think about your own story idea. Write one opening for each type for your story. • Show your openings to a partner. Which one made them want to read on most and why?

25. Recap • Now you have the skills and ingredients to write a superb personal essay. • Before you write your first draft, recap on the skills: • Convey obvious feelings • Show feelings less obviously • Show your feelings for a place • Describe character • Reflect on experience • Use an effective opening • Look back at the criteria for your level

26. Glossary • Alliteration – the repetition of a letter or sound at the beginnings of words to achieve a particular effect e.g. slowly, silently she slipped into the night • Connotation – that which a word suggests or implies e.g. “red” suggests anger • Metaphor – saying one thing is another to suggest a comparison e.g. “The hedgehog is a walking pin cushion!” • Onomatopoeia – words which sound like the noise they make e.g. crash, bang, whizz • Simile – a comparison between two different things in which one thing is said to be like another. E.g. “The snow flakes were as light as feathers.”